JCC’s Cattaraugus County will welcome the Eastman Chamber Music Society as the next event in the Rising Star Series on April 26.
 
The concert, free and open to the public, begins at 3 p.m. in Cutco Theater. For more information call 376-7590 or 376-7586. The Rising Star series is sponsored by Cutco Foundation, Olean Medical Group and the JCC Faculty Student Association.
 
Founded in 2000, the ECMS is comprised of some of the finest graduate student instrumentalists at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester.
 
Selected by audition, ECMS musicians bring an impressive and international background to the group. Together they perform in various configurations of string, piano, and wind chamber music. Their diverse instrumentation allows the ECMS to explore standard as well as unusual masterpieces of the chamber music repertoire.
 

The George Bataitis Open Golf Tournament will be held at Chautauqua Golf Club on May 9.

The GBO, a fundraiser for JCC athletics scholarships, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union is the major sponsor for the tournament for the next three years.

The four-player scramble format tournament will award prizes in scratch and handicap in the men’s and women’s divisions as well as closest to the pin, men's longest drive, women's straightest drive, team skins, and hit the green contests. The $75 entry fee includes greens fees, golf cart, gift pack, course refreshments, and lunch. A continental breakfast precedes the 8:30 a.m. shotgun start.

JCC will offer its English Immersion Program for non-English speakers July 24-August 14 at the Jamestown Campus.

Begun last year, JCC’s program features intensive training in English grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation as well as listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills for individuals planning to study or work in the area.

Tuition and fees for the non-credit program is $1845, which includes materials, on-campus housing, ground transportation, and some meals. The program cost for those who have other housing arrangements is $885. The registration deadline is June 15.

Sustainability is the focus of JCC’s annual Earth Day Festival which will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 22 outside the Hamilton Collegiate Center on the Jamestown Campus.

The event, sponsored by JCC’s Earth Awareness Club and the college program committee of the JCC Faculty Student Association, is free and open to the public.

Earthfest will begin with traditional rhythmic drumming provided by Blue Heron Rhythm Experiment. Live music by local acoustic guitarist Matt Maloof will be featured at 11:30.

Throughout the event, plants, courtesy of Mike’s Nursery, as well as jewelry, candles, nature photography, cruelty-free products, all natural soaps and lotions, other earth-friendly options will be available for purchase. Educational displays by local environmental organizations and live animal ambassadors are other program features.

Students named to JCC's fall 2008 part-time student dean’s list earned at least a 3.50 average, equal to a B plus or better, in six to 11 credit hours of letter-graded work.
Allegany Mary Jamison, Victor Kavanagh, Daesil Kwak, Nicole Lippert
Alma Brent Dickerson
Almond Thomas Demetreu
Angola Kimberley Heath, Randy Tricano
Arcade Daniel Wright
Ashville Daniel Auflick, Christopher Brown, Chelsea Fisher, Julie Johnston, Patty Josephson, Elizabeth Rauh, Shivani Seguin
Baldwinsville Jeffrey Parker
Bemus Point Leslie Beaton, Gabriella Donofrio, Carrie Elleman, Haley Erickson, Daniel Glassman, Caroline Griffith, Dawn Howard, Marc Oste, Chelsea Wesp
Black Creek Jenna Gelz
Bolivar Stephanie Crawford, Elizabeth Hodgson

A discussion, “Autism and Law Enforcement,” will be presented from 7 to 8:15 p.m. on March 24 in the Cutco Theater on JCC’s Cattaraugus County Campus. The event is free and open to the public.

The Community Reads Project of JCC, along with the JCC Cattaraugus Campus Program Committee, is sponsoring the event as a tie-in to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon, the book selected for this year’s study.

Molly Peacock, poet and creative nonfiction writer, will perform a reading of her works at 7 p.m. on May 4 in room 308 of the Library and Liberal Arts Center on JCC's Cattaraugus County Campus.

The program, free and open to the public, is co-sponsored by the JCC Cattaraugus County campus program committee, the Olean Public Library, and the Katharine Jackson Carnahan Endowment for the Humanities.

Ms. Peacock, a Buffalo native, earned degrees at Harpur College and The Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University. She has authored six books of poetry, including her latest, The Second Blush. She also wrote and performed in a one-woman staged monologue in poems, “The Shimmering Verge.”

The Ladies First Jazz Big Band, an all-female jazz group, will perform during JCC’s annual Jazz Fest on April 4 in Scharmann Theatre on the Jamestown Campus.

The event, sponsored by the JCC’s music department and the college program committee of JCC’s Faculty Student Association, features a pre-concert discussion, “Women in Jazz,” at 7 p.m. and a performance, beginning at 8.

Admission prices are $4, general public; $3, area students and senior citizens; and $2, FSA members. Tickets are available in the JCC box office, 716.338.1187.

The band, formed by Jennifer May in 2002, has its roots in a six-piece ensemble, the Ladies First Band, which was established in 1994.

JCC has signed articulation agreements with the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, which will increase transfer-degree opportunities for JCC students.

The agreements allow JCC students who meet certain criteria to be enrolled automatically in bachelor’s degree programs, with junior standing, in hospitality management, entrepreneurship, and computer information systems and technology at Pitt-Bradford. JCC students must have earned up to 75 transferable credits and meet grade point average expectations to enroll in the Pitt-Bradford programs.

Several JCC students were inducted recently into Phi Theta Kappa, the national two-year college honor fraternity.

The JCC Uncommoners’ production of J.B. Priestley’s play, Dangerous Corner, opens at 8 p.m. on March 13 in Scharmann Theatre on JCC's Jamestown Campus.

Dangerous Corner will also be performed at 8 p.m. on March 14, 19, 20, and 21. A 2 p.m. matinee is scheduled for March 15. Tickets are $8, general admission, $6, area students and senior citizens, and $4, Faculty Student Association card holders, and can be reserved in advance at JCC’s box office, 716.338.1187.

The cast includes JCC students Shinea Marion Igielinski, Emily Blackwood, Adam Hughes, Megan Lindahl, and Nick Gonzalez, former JCC student Tony “T.J.” Taylor and JCC alumna Jennifer Coe.

The play, directed by Robert Schlick, places seven characters with a shared history in a confined but comfortable space where truths are revealed, emotional fires are set ablaze, and seemingly forgotten skeletons of the past come flying out.

JCC’s Cattaraugus County Campus will welcome the Fredonia Chamber Singers as the next event in the Rising Star Series on March 29. The concert, free and open to the public, begins at 3 p.m. in Cutco Theater. For more information call 716.376.7590 or 376.7586.

In the past 27 years, the Fredonia Chamber Singers have performed in England, Wales, and Scotland eight times, as well as Israel, Germany, Jamaica, and the east and west coasts of America. The group received a special invitation last year to participate as the first choral ensemble to ever perform at the International Guitar Congress Convention in Columbus, Georgia.

The Center for Continuing Education at JCC’s Cattaraugus County Campus will offer a new credit-free course, Your Company and Ecology…an Environmental Start, on April 28.

The session, which will be held from 2 to 4 p.m., examines what an Olean company is doing to promote ecology. Practical tips on initiating a green campaign and how ecology can easily fit into a business plan will be provided.

The course instructor is Pam Bailey, Going Green coordinator for CUTCO Cutlery Corporation and marketing coordinator for Vector Marketing Corporation.

Tuition is $29. For more information or to register, call 716.376.7506 or 376.7586 or visit www.sunyjcc.edu/continuinged.

The Community Reads Project and the campus program committee at JCC's Cattaraugus County Campus are sponsoring two events on March 19 related to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon, the book selected for this year’s study.

The events will be held in the Magnano Reception Room, adjacent to Cutco Theater at JCC and are free and open to the public. For more information, call 716.376.7594. 

Making Connections and Coping with Autism Spectrum Disorder, moderated by Linda Matthews, JCC human services instructor, will be presented from 4 to 5:30 p.m. A panel of experts on autism will share their experiences and knowledge.

Middle School Challenge, an academic quiz bowl competition featuring teams from Cassadaga Valley, Falconer, Fredonia,  Persell Middle School, Ripley, Sherman, Silver Creek, and Southwestern, will be held March 14, beginning at 9 a.m. at JCC’s Jamestown Campus.

Spectators are welcome to attend the matches which will be conducted in Scharmann Theatre in the Arts and Sciences Center. Match times are: Fredonia vs. Silver Creek, 9 a.m.; Southwestern vs. Sherman, 9:30, Falconer vs. Cassadaga Valley, 10, and Persell vs. Ripley, 10:30. The championship match is expected to begin at 12:30 p.m.

Members of JCC’s Phi Theta Kappa national honor society chapter will assist with the event.

The Antique Appraisal Fair & Marketplace, sponsored by the Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce (GOACC) and the JCC Cattaraugus County Campus Alumni Association, will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on March 27 and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 28 in Cutco Theater on JCC's Cattaraugus County Campus in Olean.

An expert appraisal team, led by Greg Carter, owner of United Auctions and Antiques, will offer information on jewelry, coins, watches, furniture, paintings and prints, china, books, quilts, glassware and pottery, vintage clothing and more.

Participants should bring portable items for appraisal and are encouraged to supply related handwritten or typed identifying information about their collectible. For large furniture, a drawer and/or photographs are acceptable.  If you are seeking information about firearms or weapons of any kind, please bring only photographs.

The People’s Law series, featuring important legal topics presented by area attorneys, will be offered at JCC’s Jamestown Campus during March and April. Sessions meet from 6-9 p.m.

Tuition for the entire non-credit series is $45, or $10 per session. To register, call JCC’s Center for Continuing Education, 716/338-1005. The series is sponsored by JCC, the Robert H. Jackson Center Inn of Court, and the Jamestown Bar Association.

Real Property Issues, offered March 3, examines legal strategies to prevent mortgage foreclosure of one’s home or business. Methods to challenge excessive property assessments will be discussed also.

A variety of issues will be explored in a labor and employment law session for workers and employers on March 10.

Types of courts and the functions they serve are outlined in the Knowing Your Local Courts program on March 16.

Spotlight on Chautauqua, a non-credit series that explores the rich history of Chautauqua Lake and Chautauqua Institution, begins March 10 at JCC's Jamestown Campus.

Tuition for the entire series is $16, or $7 per session. To register, call JCC’s Center for Continuing Education, 338-1005.

The series, which meets from 7-8 p.m. on March 10 and 24 and April 7, will be conducted by Chautauqua Institution archivist Jonathan Schmitz.

The Lake in History, offered March 10, will focus on the importance of Chautauqua Lake to the area’s history, as a transportation route, and to tourism.

ChautauqWhat?, on March 24, explores the Chautauqua Movement and Chautauqua Institution and their influences on American culture.

On April 7, I Hate War!, a speech made by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, is examined along with speeches made by three other presidential candidates during visits to Chautauqua Institution in 1936.

A total of 404 students were named to the dean’s list for the fall 2008 semester at JCC's Jamestown and Cattaraugus County campuses. The students earned at least a 3.50 average, equal to a B plus or better, in 12 or more semester hours of study.

JCC's Jamestown Campus and Cattaraugus County Campus alumni associations invite community residents to submit nominations for the 2009 Distinguished Alumnus Award. The award recognizes JCC alumni who have distinguished themselves in their careers and/or in service to their communities.

To receive a nomination form, individuals are asked to call the alumni office at 716/338-1056. All nominations are due April 1.

All nominations will be reviewed by representatives of respective alumni association board of directors, and up to two awards will be presented at the college's commencement ceremonies in May. The award is an annual form of recognition on behalf of the association.

Area residents are invited to share comments during a public forum to be held as the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) reviews the Associate in Applied Science degree program in nursing at JCC for continuing accreditation.

“Comments are welcome from the healthcare community, students, alumni, and the public at-large,” said Dawn Columbare, JCC’s director of nursing education. “This is part of the NLNAC’s ongoing effort to make the accreditation process responsive to a broad range of constituents.”

Using interactive technology, the public forum will be held from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, February 25, in Room 163 of the Hultquist Library on the Jamestown Campus, Room 103 of the Allied Health and Science Center on the Cattaraugus County Campus in Olean, and Room 123 of the North County Conference and Training Center in Dunkirk. 

An evening of jazz will be featured in the next Rising Star Series program when  composer, pianist, and Olean native Jacob Pleakis performs with singer Abby Payne at 7 p.m. on February 13.

The concert, free and open to the public, will be held in Cutco Theater on JCC's Cattaraugus County Campus.

The Rising Star Series is presented by the Cutco Corporation, Olean Medical Group, and JCC’s Faculty Student Association.

Pleakis earned a bachelor’s degree in jazz studies at the State University of New York at Purchase and a master’s degree in music composition at New York University, and has worked as a conductor, arranger, orchestrator, and music editor.

He is a faculty member at the Rye Arts Center, the Church Street School for Music and Art, and the Music Academy of Mamaroneck. Clips of Pleakis’ work can be heard at www.jacobpleakis.com.

The following students were awarded degrees or certificates from JCC's Jamestown and Cattaraugus County campuses in December 2008. A total of 136 students earned degrees and certificates. Two students earned highest honors, 22 earned high honors, and 19 earned honors.

Students graduating with highest honors, representing a 4.0 grade point average, included: Associate in Arts (A.A.)-Individual Studies - Lucy Evans of Fredonia and Associate in Science (A.S.)-Individual Studies - Cara Fickling of Sherman.

The high energy talents of Zili Misik will be showcased at 1 p.m. on February 8 in the Cutco Theater at JCC’s Cattaraugus County Campus in Olean.

The concert, co-sponsored by JCC’s college program committee and the Olean Cultural Dialog Group, is free and open to the public. For more information call 376-7590 or 376-7586.

Zili Misik, an all-female band from Boston, offers powerful and captivating sounds of Haitian, Brazilian, and West African rhythms. Infusing original creations and traditional folk songs, Zili Misik honors its influences while creating a sound that is uniquely its own.

Winner of the 2008 Boston Music Award’s Outstanding World Music Act, they perform throughout the New England area.